


44 Kisses, You're Only Getting 8 (Maybe 6)

by Live



Series: Strifehart Winter Week 2017 [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: And More Fluff, Banter, Fluff, I don't know what else to tag D:, Implied Sexual Content, It's Just Sweet guys, Kissing, M/M, More Fluff, lots and lots of kissing, strifehartWinterWeek2k17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 18:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13129458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Live/pseuds/Live
Summary: Day 1 of Strifehart Winterweek 2017: Christmas Past or Midnight Kiss.They weren't dating per say, they were- (was there a reasonable excuse for sharing that many kisses?)





	44 Kisses, You're Only Getting 8 (Maybe 6)

**Author's Note:**

> I was grinning the entire time while writing it, so I hope it gets you guys to at least smile!

The two of them have always been quiet about their... the thing? between them. There’s too many unresolved feelings from the previous worlds they came from (too many unresolved feelings from the world they currently inhabit). It would just complicate things for everyone if they were to sit down and try and label everything going on between them (which works great for them, because words have never been their strong point). This means they HAVE to be silent about their... their arrangement? or else their busybody friends will ask questions, and they’ll be forced to answer them whether they’re want to or not.

If Cloud was cornered by Aerith or Tifa (he’s not worried about the rest, they can’t read him as well) he knows exactly what he’ll say. “It’s Leon’s fault,” he’d say without a moment’s hesitation. He’d say without a care that he’s throwing Leon to the wolves (the wolves worry for Leon so much that they wouldn’t do anything too drastic, but they would to Cloud, so he’ll distract them and run). And it’s not like he’s lying, it is Leon’s fault.

When they’d all first returned to Hallow Bastion (Radiant Garden) Aerith has been sending Cloud out on little errands (never giving Cloud a chance to even think about being out of their sight for more than a second, the crafty flower girl that she is) and one had led him to Leon late at night. In one hand he had the coffee he had made himself (he never appreciated the taste of coffee, but to keep him away from his nightmares? He’d happily indulge), in his other, a mug of tea with a sleeping draught in, Aerith had made it for Leon.

“Leon... he has trouble shutting down,” Aerith had confided in Cloud as she made Leon’s drink beside him. “He never thinks he’s done enough and never listens when people tell him we’re doing so much better than could be expected thanks to him.”

Aerith sighs, a full body sigh that makes her shoulders rise and fall. She looks up at Cloud.

“You all push yourselves beyond your body’s limits. You all try so hard,” Aerith rests her hand on Cloud’s cheek, before he can even think of looking away, the turn in conversation so abrupt he doesn’t have a chance to think. “Surely that’s more than enough.”

“It’s not,” Cloud answers surprisingly (because Aerith knows how to make him talk) and honestly (because he can’t lie to Aerith).

She sighs (the kind of sigh that has her eyes closing and her face grimacing and it looks like she’s going to tilt forward and use Cloud as her support). But, then she straightens up; her smile back as thought it was never gone.

“Can you give this to Leon?” She asks, as though Cloud wasn’t aware that’s where this was all leading. 

So, that’s how he finds himself at the castle (he doesn’t like it here if he’s honest, he feels like the darkness is watching him from every corner, just waiting for him to let his guard down). So, maybe Cloud should blame Aerith, he wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t have asked.

Leon is hunched over at the desk looking through whatever papers he’s found throughout the day. They haven’t figured how to get the electricity to work in the castle yet, so Leon has a candle beside him, it makes the darkness in the corners flicker, but for once Cloud doesn’t feel like he’s being watched by it (maybe it’s because of the flickering?). Cloud walks in without announcement.

“What are you doing up here?” Leon still knows who is approaching him, his senses always extended to be aware of any threats (it’s why Cloud can leave his friends to fight his darkness, he knows Leon is strong enough to replace Cloud’s own brutish strength).

“Aerith,” is Cloud’s simple answer. Really it says more than he can even begin to explain.

Leon fully turns at that. Cloud can see the exhaustion Aerith was complaining about on every inch of his body, the way his hand struggles to massage the tension out of his neck, the way he’s biting his lip to stifle a yawn, the way he’s struggling to stand straight. But, Cloud can also see the determination (and a little obsession) in Leon’s eyes, it’s the same look Cloud sees in his when he feels Sephiroth’s darkness nearby and he knows it’s not the kind of determination someone should mess with unwittingly. 

“I’m giving you a choice,” Cloud says and Leon suddenly straightens up at those words. He holds up one drink. “Aerith asked me to give you this. It’s tea-”

“How is that-”

“It’s laced with something to make you sleep,” Cloud’s continued spiel makes Leon’s brief interruption halt. Cloud holds up the other drink. “This is the coffee I made myself, so I know it’s perfectly safe to drink if you want to stay awake. Which one do you want?”

Leon takes the coffee, to no one’s surprise. What surprises Cloud is what happens after Leon’s taken his first sip.

Leon had raised Cloud’s original drink eagerly to his lips. A noise (that could have been a moan, but Cloud hadn’t really been paying attention, he was looking at the tea and questioning what to do with it) left Leon and suddenly Cloud had felt a hand pulling him towards the other man.

Cloud had looked up in question only to have lips press against his own. It was nothing more than a chaste brush, awkwardly and harshly executed by Leon’s tired aim. The heavy handedness of the gesture had their noses colliding and melding together. Leon’s eyes were closed tight as though this was some large romantic gesture and Cloud was beyond confused with how to respond. 

“Thanks,” Leon had muttered, the words slipping out between the brushes of their lips.

“Your welcome?” Cloud has muttered (a little dazed) to Leon’s back, the man already working with a new vigour.

Cloud had shaken his head, chugged down the drugged drink to leave the empty mug in the room (he decided he didn’t have the heart to deal with Aerith’s disappointment) and had left. As he walked towards his own house (slightly afraid Aerith’s drink would override his SOLDIER’s metabolism and make him fall asleep in the middle of the street), he had licked his lips to get some moisture on them on this cold late night.

He was suddenly left with the taste of coffee and tea lingering on his tongue and a worry that maybe he should have had Leon drink Aerith’s concoction. Sleep deprivation was the only reason Cloud could explain that sudden kiss.

———

Of course the next late night kiss couldn’t be thanked to sleep deprivation (though seeing as it was midnight and Leon’s usual routine was running on fumes, Cloud could potentially blame every kiss the man gave him on sleep deprivation). But, Leon hadn’t looked dead on his feet the second time they shared a kiss.

“Cloud!” Leon had called out to him. “I’ve been looking for you.”

And maybe the man was sleep deprived to seek out Cloud when he had told everyone earlier that he could feel Sephiroth approaching. It was why Cloud was at the outskirts of the city at this time, he had to keep vigil if his darkness was searching for him, he couldn’t live with it if any of his friends died to Sephiroth (the again at the back of his mind silently tormented him).

“Someone else came back,” Leon explains (a little nervously which is strange, but not completely out of the norm between the two of them). Cloud would maybe ask what was wrong if it wasn’t Leon, but if he hasn’t mentioned it yet it was probably unimportant (Cloud’s always appreciated conversations with Leon because the man knows how to get to a point).

Cloud hums his acknowledgment and trusts Leon will explain.

“It’s Tifa,” and that makes Cloud want to run (and it feels so unfair, hasn’t he done this to Tifa before? Why do they have to keep reliving this over and over again?) “She’s asking for you.”

“Just tell the truth,” Cloud looks away. “She’d just beat it out of you otherwise.”

“So, you are going after Sephiroth.” Cloud’s pretty sure Leon meant to phrase that as a question, but it comes out as a statement (probably due to the accidental emphasis of the ‘are’).

“Yeah,” Cloud answers anyway.

“You know she’s strong enough to help,” Cloud look away at that. “She wants to help you.”

“It’s not that-”

“Cloud,” Leon’s tone gives him no doubt- somewhere along the way Leon’s learnt to read him (he’s not sure how to feel about adding someone else on the list of people he HAS to be honest to, but he has no choice either way).

“I just don’t want her get hurt by him anymore... she already has enough scars thanks to Sephiroth,” Cloud admits.

“She won’t be happy to hear that,” Leon snorts.

Cloud shrugs. He’d rather Tifa was unhappy with him than dead due to his darkness.

“Fine, I’ll tell her.” And that sounds like an end to a conversation if Cloud’s ever heard one...

“Ah, Leon,” Cloud reaches out but aborts the sudden movement to look away (stupid limbs reaching out of their own accord, he could never control his impulsive urges when his darkness was around). “If Sephiroth attacks when I’m not around, protect the others.”

“Not worried that I’ll be left with scars, eh?” Leon teases, and it’s so rare to hear him joking that Cloud’s almost tempted to joke back.

‘Another scar would just make you more attractive,’ is on the tip of his tongue, because the scar across his face IS attractive and it’s so unfair that Cloud’s surrounded by all these people who make their scars look good (cause Tifa and Aerith own the scars Sephiroth gave them as well).

“No,” is what Cloud says instead, because Leon is someone he can’t lie to now. “I think you’d be able to handle Sephiroth, just don’t let him mess with your mind. That’s how he beats even the strongest warriors.”

Yuffie would regret not witnessing this moment with a camera, because Leon’s jaw is slack with unrestrained shock. It’s rare, nowadays at least, for Leon to be surprised by anything and here he is gobsmacked by a little honestly. But, it’s the next moment that Yuffie would really regret not taking a photo of.

Leon’s fingers find the back of Cloud’s head, grabbing at the spikey strands of hair he tugs Cloud in for their second kiss. This one is a lot less painful than their first one. There’s no collision of their faces, instead Leon’s aware of their movements and how they’d fit together. The hand in Cloud’s hair successfully tugging Cloud’s head in the right direction and it’s almost like Cloud’s a controlled extension of Leon’s own body. It’s a thought that should terrify Cloud, but surprisingly doesn’t.

Cloud lets Leon press their lips together and it’s almost pleasant. Leon’s lips are surprisingly not chapped and hard (like Cloud’s surely are) and the man is surprisingly well practiced in this when he’s not dead on his feet (which Cloud is not). 

When Leon’s decided their lips have been together long enough (and Cloud wonders exactly what is considered an acceptable amount of time to kiss, was what they did just now too long? Too short? Just right?) he pulls back so they can see each other without going cross eyed. The hand at the back of his hand slowly trails to his neck, almost reluctant to leave.

“I’ll keep everyone safe,” Leon vows and that seems to lighten something in Cloud’s dark, dark heart. “Come back alive.”

“I’ll try,” it’s the best promise he can give to someone he can’t lie to.

The hand finally leaves him, Leon accepting his (kind of) promise. They part ways, it’ll be weeks until they see each other again and they’re both going to be left to think of their parting moment. Cloud will convince himself that Leon’s kiss has something to do with luck or goodbyes, probably some custom from Leon’s original world.

And when he returns in a few weeks (disappointed and downtrodden in his lack of success in finding Sephiroth this time). He’ll find himself sneaking into Leon’s house late at night (not that he needed to, he could’ve knocked, what with the man sitting at a table working through more of Ansem’s notes) hoping to hide from Tifa. Leon would laugh at how ridiculous Cloud looks (a man with a sword as large as himself, easing himself through a tiny window just to avoid his childhood friend) and give him their third kiss.

Cloud writes it off as the continuing of some weird Leon custom. Maybe in his world when a promise is made they kiss and when it’s kept you kiss again (and Cloud did come back alive... this time at least). But, whatever it is Cloud doesn’t complain and let’s Leon carry on with his kisses.

———

“I’m worried about Sora,” Leon informs Cloud. 

The two of them are leaning against the wall in the Bailey that looks out over the battle field they had just emptied. They’re currently on guard waiting for it to be re-submerged in black and/or white. As two of the strongest fighters currently in Radiant Garden they shouldn’t be on guard duty at the same time (it should be Cloud and Aerith or Leon and Yuffie), but here they are guarding together and surprisingly no one’s complained yet (Cloud imagined Aerith would demand one of them to get some rest by now).

“You’re always worried about Sora,” Cloud informs Leon and it’s true. Cloud has rarely even seen the two of them interacting, not being in traverse town with the others the first time everyone met Sora and with Sephiroth lurking now that Sora’s back he hasn’t had the chance to watch the two of them interact, but even he knows the two of them get along ridiculously well.

“You’re not?” Leon asks, like Cloud should care (he does, but it would be so much easier if he was allowed to pretend that he didn’t).

“He’s the only reason we’re back in Radiant Garden,” Cloud reasons. “He’s a hell of lot stronger than we are.”

“Speak for yourself,” Leon snorts, his arms folding in front of his chest, posture slouching ever so slightly. The man is relaxed, though Cloud can’t tell what changed between now and a second ago.

“I know for a fact I’m not the only one in this room that’s lost against a match Sora, fair and square,” Cloud side eyes Leon- the two of them might physically be stronger than Sora, but there’s something about Keyblade bearers that just give them (and their allies) an edge in a fight.

“Not sure about fair and square,” Leon smirks. “I might have held back a little in our fight.”

“Now, that doesn’t sound like you at all,” Cloud gives Leon a smile with the comment to let him know his comments are not meant to taken negatively (he’s not sure how well it works though, it’s been some time since he’s smiled).

“What do you mean?” Leon’s voice has gone softer than Cloud’s used to hearing. Cloud wonders if maybe his smile had failed, not quite being able to tell what tone of voice Leon’s using (the fact that Leon’s silver eyes haven’t left his lips kind of affirm that notion).

“Just you’re the type that would try their hardest to win in a fight,” and that doesn’t sound quite how Cloud wants it to and his face pulls into a frown as he tried to rearrange his thoughts to make sense. “In the sense that Sora’s not going to get stronger if you hold back.”

Leon hums thoughtfully at that. His eyes aren’t quite zoned in on Cloud’s lips anymore, so Cloud must have relayed his thought semi-well.

“So, why did you lose against Sora?” Leon questions and it’s a little weird, they usually let the past be the past (at least in conversations spoken out loud). “If I’m losing so Sora can get stronger, why are you?”

“Because I’m weak. I have no shame admitting to losing due to being weaker,” the ‘unlike you’ that hangs in the air makes Cloud feel ever-so-slightly smug.

“Then why do you go after Sephiroth alone?” And the smugness evaporates from Cloud’s entire being (Leon’s exploring rather daring topics today...).

“Cause I’ve defeat him before, I know I can do it again,” and again and again and again, he’ll do it as many times as he needs to, he’ll keep his darkness away from everyone else for as long as he’s able.

“I... I worry about you,” Leon admits. His mouth opens, the next words lie formed but unsaid on his lips.

“You worry about everyone,” Cloud grumbles, his hand finds its way to his neck to run awkwardly over the short hair there. He looks away from Leon, why’d their conversation go in this direction?

“I... then-” Leon’s hand gets a firm grip of his bicep. “Cloud?”

Cloud sighs and looks up at Leon. Leon’s silver (with flecks of grey that remind Cloud of Midgar... not the polluted ruined Midgar, but the Midgar where Aerith plants flowers, the Midgar where Marlene and Denzel played happily down the streets, the Midgar that allowed Cloud to drive leisurely to 7th Heaven) eyes stare at him. It’s the kind of stare that rattles Cloud down to his bones and stops him from moving, barely daring to breath. It makes him wonder if Leon’s own world had stop Materia.

“I do worry about everyone,” Leon admits (and everyone knows that, stress can be read in every line of Leon’s face). “Can you not go after Sephiroth until Sora’s back? It’ll be easier to worry about you idiots’ one at a time.”

“I don’t know-”

“Cloud.”

“Leon,” Cloud runs his hands through his hair, he knows how much stress his fight with darkness brings everyone, but this is the first time Leon’s acknowledged it with words (what is he meant to do?). “If Sephiroth turns up I can’t just turn away.”

“I’m not saying that,” Leon argues. “I’m just asking you to not go out there needlessly by yourself until Sora gets back.”

“I’ll... I’ll try.”

The kiss he gets for those two (three?) words is desperate. Cloud finds the wall he had been leaning against digging into his back (or worse making his sword dig into his back). Leon’s hands alternate from boxing him in to pressing firmly on both sides of Cloud’s face (unsure if they should be blocking the rest of the world from Cloud or making sure Cloud was still there). Leon’s body aligns with as much of Cloud’s body this time as well (the feel of Leon’s long, long legs dragging against his own is a comfort Cloud had never expected). It’s the bite Leon prints on his lip as they break for air that cements the change in their kissing for Cloud.

It’s a change Cloud isn’t allowed to dwell on; what with fighting Sephiroth not even a few days later. Every stab and slice Sephiroth deals Cloud doesn’t leave the same ringing feeling as Leon’s bite and Cloud doesn’t know how to feel about that (but it’s the first time in a long time he’s been able to think of anything besides Sephiroth, amusing it would happen when he was actually fighting Sephiroth, so that’s always a good thing).

Cloud is sure of one thing though. He’s glad Sora returned before he left to fight Sephiroth (he doesn’t want to know how the bite would nag at him if he had broken that promise).

———

Cloud had described their fourth kiss as desperate, but that was nothing to the desperation of the fifth kiss. The all-consuming presence (passion) of Leon everywhere. 

Leon’s hands clasped at his hips to bring his impossibly close. One hand leaving his hip to feel along the rest of his body (to assure him he’s whole and alive). Leon’s tongue mapping out every inch of his mouth, dancing with his tongue, swiping along his teeth. Cloud can barely get enough air. Breathing through his nose just leaves him further consumed with Leon (the smell of leather tickles his senses and he’s not sure it’ll ever leave him).

It’s the first time their simple (innocent) kisses become heated and sexual (Cloud can’t help the muffled groan that leaves him as Leon rocks their bodies together). It’s the first time Cloud realises that maybe there was something more to the kisses Leon’s been giving him. It’s the first time they share the same bed. 

The hot searing fifth kiss leaves Cloud’s mouth somewhere through the night to travel the vast plains of his body. His neck is branded by those molten lips, his chest devoured by those sharp teeth and his abs are exposed to that clever tongue. 

The fifth kiss extends long past midnight and to the early hours of morn where they lay restless together. Cloud’s head resting on Leon’s shoulder, Leon’s fingers refusing to stay motionless against Cloud’s flesh. They’re pressed close together, completely bare (which should be odd, they’ve never done this before, they never let themselves be vulnerable, yet here they are and it somehow feel strangely normal...).

“Sephiroth gone?” Leon asks, the first words Cloud has heard since he’s returned (other than the repeated pant of his name as Leon claimed him, marked him).

“As gone as he can be,” Cloud reassures, Sephiroth will find a way back (he always does), but it won’t be anytime soon. They have at least a few years without his darkness’ torment (assuming nothing drastic happens in the meantime).

Leon hums thoughtfully, the fingers of his left hand run circles on Cloud’s shoulder blade.

“Restoration going well?” Cloud asks, completely unsure on what’s changed since he left fighting Sephiroth. Leon had been the first person he’d seen on his return and he hadn’t been given the chance to scout the area after that.

Leon hums a non-word: it sound vaguely like a ‘yes’ and vaguely like disagreement. Cloud gathers that mean it’s progressing, but Leon’s not content with it yet (Cloud wonders if Leon will ever be content with the restoration of their world, he imagines Leon will always find something he needs to improve, he’ll always find something to fix. Leon will probably go on helping the world eternally: just like Cloud’s fight against Sephiroth).

“Some more people returned thanks to Sora,” Leon admits (and it is admitting, because Leon feels he probably should have told Cloud this before taking all of his attention).

“Anyone we know?” Not that it matters if they do or not, but it’s always nice to meet some familiar faces.

“Two people from your world,” Leon’s fingers finally still against Cloud’s skin, nestling at the small of his back. “The others knew them, Vincent and Nanaki?”

“Glad they’re safe,” Cloud confesses, they’re admittedly the two he was less concerned about (especially Vincent, seeing as the man couldn’t die), but it’s two less people to worry about and two more people he can assure the safety of.

“Sora found a couple of people from my world too,” and that’s BIG news. Leon had kind of given up on his original world, had assumed everyone had died in their last fight.

“People you know?” Cloud asks.

“Yeah,” a defeated sigh leaves Leon’s lips (lips that had left an inferno against Cloud’s entire being). “I apologise for them in advance, they’re loud and nosy.”

Cloud snorts, looking at Leon (the angle is weird from where they’re positioned but Cloud can see Leon and that’s all that matters). “Like the rest of our friends then.”

“Yeah,” a smile breaks across Leon’s face. “Just like the rest of them.”

Cloud imagines that would be a good moment to stop their conversation. The two of them had spoken longer than they usually do and it would be a positive way to end a conversation (Aerith always talks about ending conversations positively after all), but then Leon looks at him, their eyes locking, and it hasn’t ended (not yet).

“I’m glad you’re back,” and... and that’s a nicer way to end a conversation, but Cloud can make it better...

“Glad to be back,” and they have share their sixth kiss.

It’s sends a cooling sensation throughout Cloud’s body. Like the rain after a fire. It hits him like a mighty squall and it’s refreshing. So refreshing he doesn’t want it to end (it ends and they curl up together to actually sleep and... and that’s nice as well).

———

The seventh kiss is all Cloud, but it won’t happen yet. First there needs to be a little bit of intervention...

Cloud is in a room with the friends from his original world. Aerith was the one who dragged him in and kicked anyone not from their world (poor Leon had been shoved out without much explanation). Tifa stood at the door, a human barricade that forewarned Cloud he wasn’t going to like where this was going. Cid is sat looking both put out having to be here and smug about something. Vincent is stood to the side, Cloud would love to talk to the man, but he’s been on edge since Leon was forced out and he was forced in. Nanaki is laying down beside his chair, happy to be surrounded by his friends. It’s Yuffie that puts Cloud most on edge, a meeting like this would make Cloud think they were going to question him about his fight with Sephiroth or fill him in on any information on their last missing friends and family, but Yuffie’s grin is the manic grin that only promises financial gain.

“So, you and Leon?” Yuffie grins, leaning right into Cloud’s face. 

Before Cloud can react to that, Cid’s grabbing the back of Yuffie’s shirt. “Oi, sit down girlie, that’s not how to start this conversation.”

“So this IS to do with Leon?” Cloud questions, a little lost (and confused, Yuffie’s comment seemed to imply everyone knew about their... their something, but the two of them had only been close like that when no one else was around, so how would they...)

“And you,” Aerith sighs, a slight smile pulling at her lips (and Cloud’s glad to see it, Aerith’s smiles have always been a spectacle to see, the way they make her eyes light up and capture everyone’s attention).

“How would you describe your relationship with Leon?” Tifa asks, and her face is scrunched together in concern (and Cloud feels so bad for being the cause of that frown line, not that it takes away from Tifa’s natural beauty, only leaves a physical reminder of Tifa’s kindness and love).

“We’re... friends,” which is something safe and true that he can say. There’s no one who can deny that.

Cid snorts, “That’ll be true when pigs fly! You’re freaking dating!”

Cloud watches Tifa tense up at the door and Aerith actually groan into her hands. There’s movement against Cloud’s leg and looking down he can see Nanaki pressing up against him while staring as Cid.

“Didn’t you just reprimand Yuffie for starting this conversation in the exact same way?” Nanaki asked.

“It’s not my fault!” Cid points a finger at Cloud. “It’s all your fault! You’re a smart lad, so why do you have to be such an idiot over the most stupid things? You’re always like this.”

“I-”

“Just answer me one question before you start spouting something stupid!” Cid interrupts Cloud. “Would you describe yourself as dating Leon?”

“No.” He hadn’t, there hadn’t been any conversation between him and Leon that they were going to be a couple. They hadn’t even discussed the other night when Cloud has returned.

“Well you are!” Cid huffs, leaning back in his seat as though he’d won some hard earned battle. “I have no idea why I’m friends with someone who can’t even figure out they’re in love.”

“You lived with Shera for a decade and still refused to admit the two of you were married...” Cloud says without thinking. “Or anything less than colleagues.”

Cid squawks, arms flailing as surprised laughter fills the room. Cid had always been one to insist Shera would truly be the worse person to spend the rest of his life with as he proceeded to name ships after her and had a ring made from their Rocket for her (he still refused to say she was his wife).

“Cloud’s right,” Aerith giggles. “Maybe you’re not the best person be explaining this.”

“Like you girls could do any better!” Cid huffs. “You should know how thick headed this one is by now!”

“That’s true,” Tifa admits at the door with a sigh, she had been in Cloud’s mind itself and even she struggled to understand how the man thought sometimes.

“Cloud,” Vincent finally speaks, voice soft and low as always, demanding everyone’s attention. “Back before our world was destroyed would you describe any of your relationships as romantic?”

“No?” There’s a universal groan around the room at that.

“Not even Aerith or Tifa?” Vincent questions.

“No...” and, because no one in the room seemed to be on the same page (and he could trust these people) Cloud explains a little more. “With Aerith I felt like it might have become romantic, I definitely had romantic feelings, but we only flirted and went on one date, which could have easily been friendship.”

“What friendships have you had that were flirty?” Tifa asked, because really she’d never seen Cloud casually flirt with a friend. She’d seen his sarcastic and dry humour, but she’d hardly call that flirting.

“Zack used to do that all the time. He also called every outing between friends’ dates,” Cloud explained (and winced at Aerith’s agitated sigh of “of course this is Zack’s fault”).

“What about Tifa?” Vincent asked, trying to keep his friends on topic.

“I definitely had a crush on her when we were children,” Cloud smiles at Tifa (she can’t help but smile back). “But, I’d hardly call us living together romantic. Not only was I hardly around, neither of us really tried to actually talk any of our feelings out... we kind of walked on eggshells when any hard topic came up... Sorry for that Tifa.”

“It’s my fault as well,” Tifa sighs. “I was worried I’d ruin the little bit of family I had left.”

“We’re still family,” Cloud admits. Tifa feels her eyes well up a little at that, she just wanted to have the people she cared about safe and happy. This could-

“That’s nice and grand and all! Now we all know we love each other and we’re all family as stuff!” Yuffie interrupts (ignoring Tifa’s disappointed “I wouldn’t mind continuing the family talk actually”). “But what about Leon?!”

“What about Leon?” Cloud asks with a sigh, at this point talking about Sephiroth would cause Cloud less stress. 

“Why don’t you think the two of you are dating?” She insists.

“I mean we’ve kissed,” he was not going to mention that the two of them had, had sex. With how this conversation had been going they’d insist they were as married as Cid and Shera. “But we haven’t-”

“You’ve kissed?” Yuffie’s squeals. “When?”

“How is this-”

“Answer the question,” Tifa agrees and Cloud’s starting to feel he should take back that statement of them being family.

“The first time was before you came back,” Cloud sighs, rubbing at his head. What had Leon got him involved in?

“And the latest time?” Yuffie questions.

“The other day when I came back from fighting Sephiroth. That was the sixth time, seeing as you apparently want to know everything,” Cloud rolls his eyes.

“You’ve only kissed six times in a year?” Yuffie asks in disbelief.

“As I said, we’re not dating,” Cloud looks sceptically at Yuffie. “I kind of assumed you caught one of those kisses seeing as you’re insisting we’re dating.”

“Thank God we haven’t!” Cid yelps, hoping to never watch any of these idiots lock lips (he may secretly hope they all find love, but he doesn’t need to know all the details, he wishes Yuffie would agree with that and stop asking honestly).

“It’s more about how the two of you act,” Aerith explains. “The two of you smile more around each other and make jokes. We haven’t seen you like that since before the heartless appeared.”

“It’s hard to find anything to be happy about since the heartless attacked,” Cloud shrugged it off (Aerith opened her mouth to point out that it had always been a miracle to see him smile and be happy, but-).

“Leon wouldn’t stop sulking when you were off fighting Sephiroth,” Cid piped up.

“Leon worries about everyone. He wouldn’t stop sulking when Sora left either,” Cloud reasoned (Cid wasn’t given his chance to complain about just how badly Leon had sulked this time, because-).

“You KISSED,” Yuffie stresses the word long enough that it became a hiss. “How is that NOT something couples do?”

“There’s-”

“Cloud,” Nanaki pawed at Cloud’s leg, forcing the man’s attention and keeping him from seeing how Yuffie poked her tongue out at him. “I haven’t had a chance to know this Leon well, but I know you. So let me ask this, would you like to date Leon?”

“I... I’m not sure I sh-”

“Don’t think about Sephiroth when answering,” Vincent adds. “We all know you’d deny yourself happiness to keep everyone safe from him.”

“I...” Cloud sighs, his first conversation with Vincent and Nanaki since they’d came back and it was to call him out on his behaviour. Cloud smiles, typical. “I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

“Great!” Tifa cheers, stepping away from the door. “You better go and tell him that then.”

“And don’t come back until you’re both fucked out!” Cid yells.

“Cid!” Aerith chides.

Cloud’s not privy to the rest of the conversation though as he’s shoved out the room and left to the darkened streets of Radiant Garden. It’s a cold night and he knows his friends won’t let him back in. There’s only one place left he can really go.

Leon answers his door promptly, never one to leave anyone waiting long. He smirks when he sees Cloud at the door.

“I’m surprised to see you in one piece,” Leon laughs, opening the door wider for Cloud to enter. “Aerith looked ready to fight a horde of heartless solo.”

“She was,” Cloud smiles (and God his friends were right he can’t stop smiling around Leon). “Luckily I’m her favourite.”

“You wish,” Leon’s eyes shine (like melted mercury). “She just pities you the most.”

“Both can be true,” Cloud admits (he refuses to give up being Aerith’s favourite though).

“What was it about then?” Leon asks (ever the worrier).

“Trust me,” Cloud clasps his hand on Leon’s shoulder, it was meant to be friendly, but he notices (now) how his hand lingers. “You don’t want to know.”

Leon’s hand finds Cloud’s and presses it deeper into his flesh. Cloud can feel the rough edge of Leon’s collarbone and the firmness of well-trained muscles. He can’t tell if the motion was a conscious effort of not on Leon’s part, but well... maybe his friends were right.

Cloud reaches up on his tiptoes and finds Leon’s lips. They twitch into a smile. Cloud enjoys that breathtaking smile against his mouth: it feels like happiness. Cloud’s lips twitch into their own smile: returning the favour.

“What was that for?” Leon asks as Cloud pulls away from their seventh kiss.

“Just felt like it,” Cloud shrugs. Their eighth, ninth and tenth kiss follow quickly afterwards (Cloud tells himself to stop counting their kisses, it’s a fool’s errand to try counting to infinity after all).

———

Their first kiss shared at a reasonable hour (their forty-fourth kiss in total, because Cloud’s a fool who can’t help but think he can prove that numbers are finite) isn’t a kiss Cloud thought they’d share. Loving kisses? They have those covered. Tired kisses? Most of their kisses have some underlining sleepiness to them. Sexual kisses? Plenty of those. Angry kisses? None as of yet, but Cloud’s sure they’d frustrate each enough to have one eventually. Sweet, earth shattering kisses? Almost every single one of them. But, this? 

This was hilarious.

Since Cloud had kissed Leon, he had been introduced to the important people from Leon’s world. Zell and Selphie were just as loud as Leon had promised, but Cloud had been friends with Yuffie for years (and the way Leon’s face softened made him look at least five years younger, why would Cloud ever complain?). Quistis had been the one to tease Leon all the while demanding explanations of everything around them. Leon’s older sister Ellone had taken the opportunity to interrogate Cloud on what Leon had been up to. Then there were two of Leon’s friends Cloud had yet to meet, only caught fleeting glances of before Leon had dragged the two of them away (intentionally avoiding for whatever reason).

“Squall,” the woman with the blue duster called, annoyed, clearly noticing the intentional avoidance as well.

“Rinoa,” Leon responded, standing ever so slightly in front of Cloud (as though he could hide Cloud behind him).

Cloud raised a brow at Quistis who just shook her head at her two friends. They had been in the middle of going over some blueprints in the library, it seemed the blueprints implied there was a secret room behind one of the shelves (there always was in Cloud’s experience) when they were interrupted.

“Sorry Squall,” the man in the cowboy hat walked in behind Rinoa looked absolutely ragged. “There was nothing I could do.”

“I thought you weren’t trying to keep me everywhere but here?” Rinoa turned around to glare at the man, who shirked back out the room.

“It was all Squall’s idea!” Were his parting words.

“Squall?” She turned back to Leon, who looked like what Cloud feels like when he’s confronted by Aerith or Tifa.

“Rinoa now is not a good time. We’re-”

She actually shoved Squall to the side and the man goes with it before remembering (a second too late) why he was standing there. Rinoa jumps right into Cloud’s space with a large smile.

“Hi, I’m Rinoa, ignore anything bad Squall’s told you about me,” she offers her hand.

“He’s only mentioned good things,” and Squall had. There had been the odd occasion before, when Leon was the only one from his original world here, where Leon had shared stories of his own world. They were always rare, but the man hadn’t been able to mention his world without mentioning Rinoa. 

Cloud smiles and takes her hand in a quick firm shake.

“I’m,” Rinoa blushes. “I’m sure that’s not true. Squall’s always had trouble complimenting people. He probably just complained about me being too childish or something.”

“No,” Leon interrupts their conversation. A hand covers Cloud’s mouth (and half his face with how precariously it was thrown there). Leon’s other hand points directly at Rinoa’s face. “I know what you’re like.”

“What!” Rinoa puffs her cheeks up at that. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you ask any guy with a pretty smile to be your knight,” Leon mockingly puffs his cheeks out in imitation (it’s ridiculous how adorable Cloud thinks the man looks like that).

“And why shouldn’t I ask every pretty guy?” Rinoa folds her arms in what Cloud can see is a very good imitation of Leon’s usual brooding posture.

“Because,” Leon starts before, actually, dipping Cloud and kissing him in front of everyone. Cloud snorts into the kiss, that Leon is very much not paying attention to as he stares Rinoa down. Rinoa (and Quistis for that matter) are very much staring in open mouthed shock.

“This one is spoken for,” Leon finished when he’s very much made his point.

Yeah, Cloud never thought they’d resort to caveman-esque ‘claiming’ kisses, but here he is laughing in the arms of the man he had just shared his forty-fourth kiss with. Cloud has nothing to complain about as their relationship is brought into the light. He’s happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty chuffed with this one!!!! I love the idea that Cloud's oblivious to romantic relationships- I mean he doesn't have a good track record even though plenty of people show him interest in the games and people just like pairing him with everyone (with is A+++), so it's kind of canon right? (Not that canon matters here XD). I'm also surprised with myself I've never published any Strifehart stuff even though I've loved the pairing since KH2, replaying the old games re-sparked my love for it (not that it ever went away, my fandoms and pairings are always lurking in the back of my mind) so I HAD to actually post some stuff this time around!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this piece!!! Happy holidays (and see you tomorrow for some more Strifehart fanficcing)!


End file.
